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fight while Job quit? We are told that David “encouraged himself in the
Lord his God” (1 Samuel 30:6). In his pain David considered God’s goodness and
realized that God was not behind his loss. He understood that it was not God’s
will for him to suffer, so he fought back and prevailed.
    I wish I
could go back in time and get to Job before his friends did. I would say, “Job,
God didn’t kill your kids! He didn’t steal your livelihood and make you sick.
You’ve been robbed. Don’t sit there in the ashes and cry about it, get up and
fight! Are you a warrior or a weakling? Are you a victor or a victim?”
    The
church will never see victory if we think God is behind our suffering. If we
think God is robbing us we won’t even resist. We’ll let the thief waltz in and
plunder our families all the while singing “He gives and takes away.” Funny,
but I can’t imagine Jesus or David doing that.
    For too
long we have been incapacitated by uncertainty which is really just another
name for unbelief. If you are uncertain who is behind your suffering don’t look
to Job. Instead look to Jesus who was never confused about who was giving and
who was taking.
     
    A word after
     
    Without a doubt, this is the most polarizing
article I have ever written. Readers either loved or hated it. Those who hated
it typically did so for one of four reasons.
     
    (1)    “Paul, how can you say Job spoke out of line? Job was a
saint!” Hey, I’m just agreeing with God and Elihu (Job 38:2, 32:12). Even Job
came to realize that he had spoken inappropriately (Job 42:3). I’m not
condemning Job for what he said in his hour of grief. I’m marveling at the
mercy of God who intervened and helped Job to change his tune. I’m in awe at
the way God’s grace turns our laments into praise.
     
    (2)    “Job is an example for us to follow.” Not when he’s going
the wrong way. Job was fearful, superstitious, self-righteous, bitter, and had
a death wish. Why would you want to follow him? Follow Jesus!
     
    (3)    “Job 1:8 says the whole thing was a set-up. God gave Satan
permission.” Read that passage in a literal translation and you will find it
says no such thing:
     
    And
Jehovah saith unto the Adversary, “Hast thou set thy heart against my servant
Job because there is none like him in the land, a man perfect and upright,
fearing God, and turning aside from evil?” (Job 1:8, YLT)
     
    Satan
came gunning for Job. Why didn’t God stop him? We might also ask why God doesn’t
stop earthquakes or famines or wars. Not everything that happens is God’s will.
Satan went for Job because he could. When God said, “All that he has is in thy
power” (Job 1:12), he wasn’t handing Job over to Satan—God doesn’t do deals
with the devil. He was simply stating a fact (see 1 John 5:19). If Satan had to
ask permission, he wouldn’t be a thief would he?
     
    (4)    “God is sovereign. God ‘allowed’ Satan to do it.” Contrary
to the modern sovereignty teaching, God is not in control of everything
that happens to you (again, see 1 John 5:19). Fatalism says that God is
responsible for everything that happens, but the gospel declares that in all
things God works for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28). There is a
difference. Jesus taught us to pray, “Let your will be done on earth as it is
in heaven.” Why would we need to pray that if God’s will was already being
done?
     
     

7. When Doing Good is Bad for You
     
    Ever since our ancestors ate the
forbidden fruit, we humans have had an innate sense of good and evil. Help a
blind person cross the street and you just know you’re doing something
good. Use a cat for a football and you just know you’re doing something
bad. You don’t need anybody to tell you.
    Knowing
how to separate good from bad is a handy skill when buying apples or recruiting
a babysitter. It’s also the basis of every man-made religion under the sun. But
your knowledge of good and evil does